Doctor Who: The girl who never lived
by mysticgazer
Summary: The doctor goes on another adventure, on his own, only to find that he cant even escape tragedy and mystery when he tries.
1. Chapter 1

There was a loud crash from outside the window. Madison looked out at the ground below her apartment building, watching smoke rise from a freshly burnt hole in the ground. She looked with interest and disbelief. There was the faint sound of an alarm from across the small village and roaring sirens coming toward the scene. She jumped down from the window, her small form framed by a light pink silk night gown, her bare feet touching the cool wood. She ran towards the front door of the apartment, the knob was a foot above her head, and locked at that. She searched her surroundings for any type of tool to unlock the door and enable her to venture into the commotion. Her eyes scanned across a small screwdriver that had rolled underneath the desk her father worked at every night, tinkering with things and drawing new sketches for his new ideas.

Her chubby fingers wrapped around the wooden handle and she cranked the screwdriver clockwise and counter-clockwise until she heard the relieving sound of a click. The door swung open and she dropped the screwdriver in excitement, she ran out the door and down the wooden stairs as it rolled back underneath the desk, and the door closed behind her with a heavy thud and solid clicking lock. The noises outside the building got louder, the tenants began to swarm around a large burning object giving off a dark billowing cloud of smoke. She swiveled through the legs of bundled adults, a woman in a fuzzy robe and slippers, a fat man wearing his work suit. Her little feet padded across the slippery cobblestone that was laid in front of the buildings. Her eyes grew wide as she saw what was beyond the line of fat men wearing black official-looking suits wielding billy clubs, and then she heard the screams...

The tardis was roaring and wheezing as usual, clicking and popping noises emerging from the console. There was a loud thud and the usual noises halted, leaving an eerie silence surrounding the doctor. "Oh really? Come on you must be joking!" he pulled at his hair, frustrated. "Come on old girl, I need you to take me to ancient Rome, I _know _that's not where you took me, it's hardly ever." The tardis remained silent and unmoving. The doctor sighed, he checked the small screen hovering over his head, "London, England 1915? What's so special about that date huh? Is it more important than ten people getting killed by a free roaming lion? Huh? Is it?" he sighed in exasperation at the machine. He was never going to end up where he wanted yet he couldn't simply come to terms with it.

He walked to the doors and pulled, letting in a bright beam of light from the outside world. The ground was covered in snow as well as the rooftops of the small buildings. The tardis had parked him in a small alleyway between two rows of tenant buildings. The walls were made of stones as well as the sidewalk in front of him. He stepped out, feeling the cold breeze of winter and pulled his long trench coat tighter around him. He walked towards what he believed was the middle of the town, couples wrapped in fur coats and wearing hats sauntered down each side of the small road.

"What an odd place, you silly old girl. You're losing your wit you know!" he shouted back to the blue box. He turned back around and looked up at the building directly in front of him. Something drew his attention to the window at the top left corner, a curtain, pulled back aside, in it was the chubby face of a young girl.

He squinted, trying to make it out better, but the shade fell shut and he lost sight of her. He chewed on his lip, thinking, then headed toward the wooden door at the front of the building. As he stepped on the stone steps, he knocked lightly at the door. There was a muffled shout, some shuffling, and a click at the door. "Hello there," he smiled, "I'm the doctor."


	2. Chapter 2

He lifted the small teacup up to his lips, watching the old woman sitting on the couch over the rim of his glasses. She held a saucer on her lap scanning the strange man that referred to himself as "The Doctor". There was no way she could just invite any random person into her house. Not even one as charming as this. She knew there was something different about him, something that drew her to invite him in without even the slightest bit of question. Maybe it was the way he looked like he was constantly taking in new knowledge and thinking about things, contemplating new ways to get out of any problem that could possibly occur, she didn't know, but it had brought her to let him in with full confidence that he was going to protect her in some way.

He looked at the window and back at her, examining the worry lines engraved into her skin, the sagging skin on her cheeks and under her eyes. This woman had been through much throughout her life, maybe the loss of a husband or child, something traumatic and aging. Her eyes were deep in her skull, light blue in color with a note of thoughtfulness hidden in them. He watched her sit, if he watched closely enough he could see her shaking, something she couldn't help that had developed with her old age. He saw that she was staring at him and smiled. "I'm sorry, I do believe I've forgotten to ask your name?"

"Oh that's fine dear," she smiled, stretching the wrinkles at the corner of her mouth. She spoke with a strong Irish accent. The Doctor found a strange sense of familiarity with this woman. "the name's Matilda, everyone calls me Maddie."

"Ah, Maddie, it's very nice to meet you. I don't mean to intrude, but I need to ask a few questions."

"Go ahead, ask away, I'll be glad to answer any question that you have."

The Doctor smiled, his well known smile seen from millions of different galaxies and times. The one thing that didn't change when he went regenerated. "I'm not from around here, and I was just wondering if anything strange had been happening as of lately?"

She looked up wide-eyed at him, the smiling wrinkles from the corners of her mouth disappeared, her eyes lost their glow. She set her saucer down on the table in front of her cautiously and moved closer to him. She pursed her lips, silent for a moment. "Doctor, may I share something that I've noticed in pure confidence that you've no intention of sharing it with anyone else?"

"Of course."

She sighed, "There has been some strange... activity, if you'd like. Things that I've never seen before, and quite frankly I don't believe anyone else is noticing it."

"Hm, and what are these 'things' that have been happening?"

She took in a sharp breath. "Doctor, there is a small child running around the neighborhood. She has been here since I could remember, and it seems like I am the only one taking note. I never noticed that it was the same girl until something happened about a month ago. Something nobody could explain, or even understand. But I believe she may have had something to do with it. Directly or not, doesn't matter. She's the cause and maybe even the result of it."


	3. Chapter 3

"Maddie?" the Doctor asked, "I don't mean to sound rude, but... how old do you happen to be?"

"I'll have to admit, I have seen my fair share of years. So many things happening, new people, exotic ones from South Africa and the Himalayan mountain range. Women with their sparkling jewel bracelets and headbands from India. Beautiful women from all over the world. I sometimes tend to forget how old I am when I'm surrounded by them. So young and youthful. Long black hair, radiant glowing skin. I envy their youth, Doctor, I truly do. But, I have the hardest time remembering my birth year. You see, my mother and father died when I was just a wee lass. My aunt brought me to London at the age of three and I don't remember what year it was. But it was a long, long, time ago."

"I see. Do you by any chance happen to know the little girls name?" he shifted forward on his seat. He laid his hands in his lap and stared at her. The old woman thought for a moment before saying anything.

"Why, no, Doctor, I don't believe I do."

He stood. "Maddie, it was nice to meet you. Thank you for the tea. I think I'll be on my way now." she waved to him as he stepped out the door.

"Don't forget what I told you, Doctor. It may be important."

He nodded at her and walked toward the other buildings in the town square. His eyes were constantly scanning each thing as he walked past. A cold rush of wind blew across the back of his neck and he turned. From where he stood the building he had just left looked like a large abandoned barn. The shingles at the top were peeling off and the shutters were falling off and swinging with the wind. He saw the little girl in the window, her pale face looking sadly out at him. She pulled the curtains in front of her face and was lost in the white that remained in his sight. He sighed, "Seems this is going to be a lot harder than I thought."


End file.
